This document discusses productizing APIs and treating APIs as products rather than just technical integrations. It provides examples of API product types and outlines key aspects of building successful API products, including governance, versioning, developer portals, support, community, pricing, and promotion. For each aspect, it recommends applying 3 principles: focusing on customer impact, using web standards where sensible, and ensuring consistency. The document emphasizes the importance of customer-centricity and community for API products.

1. From idea to the market
PRODUCTISING APIs
Twitter: @eldaravd
Eldar Allahverdiyev

2. @eldaravd
P R O D U C T D E F I N I T I O N
Modern product management started in 1931
with a memo written by Neil H. McElroy at
Procter & Gamble.
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It all started with a “brand man”
He revolutionary defined the field testing and
constant customer interaction as the key aspects
of the product management.
800 words memo was a simple description of the
new role:
Brand man

3. @eldaravd
P R O D U C T D E F I N I T I O N
Wikipedia provides a simple definition of a “product“:
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What is a product ?
“A product is a good or a service that can be bought or sold.”
A Digital Product is a service or set of digital goods, which creates
the value for a specific group of people a drives revenue directly or
indirectly.
… but when it comes to digital products, this definition is limited.

4. @eldaravd
P R O D U C T D E F I N I T I O N
@eldaravd
What makes a great product ?
“Listen to your customer, focus on your customer.”
Build something you
want to use yourself
Identify your niche Simple and intuitive Change the user’s life
for the better
Example: Example: Example: Example:
Focused only on Spanish
speakers learning English
Provides personalised
listening experience
Intuitive and easy to use
interface
Changed the way travel.

5. API Product

6. @eldaravd
A P I P R O D U C T
Why we should treat API as a Product, not just as technical integration mechanism ?
@eldaravd
Treat your API as a product
Customer focus
Customer niche
Feedback loop
Roadmap
Continues
improvement
Roadmap
prioritisation
Owner
Advocate
Business benefits
owner
Support
Dedicated
support
SLAs

7. @eldaravd
A P I P R O D U C T
@eldaravd
Product vs Channel
Some may say: “API is not a product, it is just a channel to our core business for end users.”
In that case we are losing the key component of API Offering - the API customer,
hence the customer centric product.
Core
Business
API
End users
Core
Business
API
End users
App
API Customer
Channel
Product
App

8. @eldaravd
A P I P R O D U C T
@eldaravd
API product types
API product is a business API Product extends the business
The entire business is based on API offering.
API driven communications.
API driven payments.
API Products is leveraging and extending existing
business to unlock new revenue streams.
API Product is targeting developers who
needs automated marketing.
API Product unlocks innovation via
external developers.

9. @eldaravd
A P I P R O D U C T
@eldaravd
How to build a product ?
Identify a consumer
need
Create a prototype Find early
adopters
Budget and
marketing plan
Product roadmap
Present to investors
Launch product
features
Gather customer
feedbacks
Gather customer
feedbacks
Build product
features
Prototype
Invest
Productise

10. @eldaravd
A P I P R O D U C T
@eldaravd
API Product features
API Products are more complicated than normal digital products,
due to the horizontal nature across the business and external dependencies.
Normal Digital
Product lifecycle
API Governance
API Versioning
API Developer Portal
API Product Support
API Community
API Product Pricing
API Product promotion

11. 3 Principles
per feature

12. API
API
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3 P R I N C I P L E S
@eldaravd
API Governance
An API is the user interface for your developers –
make the best customer experience. API Guidelines
Customer Impact
API
API API
API
Governance
Customer
API Governance is
must.
API
Use web standards
where
makes sense.
APIs consistency is
a key.
3 Principles:

13. @eldaravd@eldaravd
API Versioning
API are not forever.
API Must be versioned.
Give enough notice time to
the customers.
Improve your API, avoid
breaking a contract.
In 2015 Sound Cloud
restricted an access to
just 15,000 songs via API.
In 2011 Cloud Translate
API closed an access to
the V1 Free API.
Notice time should be
not less than 6 months.
Don’t release a new
version, unless it is
absolutely necessary.
Any API versioning strategy is
great, just have one.
V1
V2
3 P R I N C I P L E S

14. @eldaravd@eldaravd
Developer portal
Self-service
Well designed
Documentation with
Examples
Sandbox access
3 P R I N C I P L E S

15. @eldaravd@eldaravd
APIs aren’t only for developers
Show, don’t tell. Case studies Target audience
Target industry segment
needs.
Articulate the industry
value.
Add case studies to build the
trust and show how your API
helped the business.
The market not limited to
only developers.
Demo your API.
Avoid jargon.
3 P R I N C I P L E S

16. @eldaravd@eldaravd
API Support
Understanding API customers:
don’t call helpdesk, as they prefer to raise an online ticket or ask Forum
don’t like superficial answers, they prefer talk to professionals
don’t raise support tickets unless they really need to
Developers should be
involved in support.
Customer service is
the UI of your APIs.
Online ticketing
system or forum is
must.
3 P R I N C I P L E S

17. @eldaravd@eldaravd
API Community
• Lead a forum
• Personalise emails and support tickets
• Gain advocates
• Increase members profile
Build a personal relationship.
Create a value for the members..
Learn from your customers.
• Understand pain point
• Improve your support material
3 P R I N C I P L E S

18. @eldaravd@eldaravd
API Product pricing
Keep it simple and
easy to find.
Embrace the
Freemium model
where possible
Charge per API Call or
subscription directly
when it makes sense.
Prepaid: Cost per 1 API
call and throttle limit
packages
Free, S, M, L, XLCustomer should understand your
pricing model in less than 20 seconds.
Add calculator
Postpaid: Cost per 1 API
call and notifications
when reached thresholds
3 P R I N C I P L E S

19. @eldaravd@eldaravd
API Product promotion
Target audience Social External events
Events
Meetups
Run hackathons
Industry forums
3 P R I N C I P L E S

20. Thank you !!
Let’s start building great products !
Twitter: @eldaravd